Twenty Things You Never Knew You Never Knew About
by torncorpse
Summary: Twenty facts made up about Tseng the Turk.


Twenty Things You Never Knew You Never Knew About Tseng

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When Tseng was seven he discovered just what it meant to work for a living. Realising that he was the man of the family at such a young age had a sort of perverse effect on him. One that lasted through his aldut years, bleeding through into every aspect of his life. His mother had told him then that he would truly understand the rewards of being in control, of having others depend on him. He still hadn't found the answer to that.

Everyone thinks they know the real reason he left Wutai. They think they know it all and that it's all public knowledge They don't know that it all started with a girl. A pretty little blonde girl with amber eyes and cherry lips. Seeing her in the slums still causes his heart to ache, sometimes it dulls just enough that he thinks he's over it, but he's realised he'll never truly be over it.

Dealing with each and every Turk has its upsides. He's never blind sided, he knows his people, and he's picked the best. There's never any doubt that his Turks can and will get the job done, that his people are professional and collected. Except where Reno is concerned.

No one really knew why Tseng had pushed so hard with Reno. Anyone else might've cut him loose years ago, seen the loose cannon that the red head really was and sent him packing. Tseng didn't. Tseng saw the potential. The raw energy that needed to be directed somewhere. But even he had limits, and it would be a very long time before Reno would get near anything explosive again.

Tseng hates paperwork. Almost with the same passion that President Rufus hates politicians Almost as vehemently as Reno hates mornings. Almost as disdainfully as Rude hates recon detail. But sometimes, like right now, he thinks that paperwork has it's uses. Like when Rufus suddenly decides to check all the reactors at half past 7 at night, Elena and Rod are already cursing him out.

One thing that Tseng indulges in is strawberries. So when Elena tries to get him out of the office with the promise of strawberries and champagne, its a hard battle to resist just enough to keep his secret.

The only thing Tseng hates more than a Turk dying in battle is one being captured. The only consolation here is that Rude is on the outside and not about to give up. They have four hours before procedure tells them to delete all files relating to Reno and purge his hard drive and home. Tseng is more than ready to stand by Rude's side for this fight.

To Tseng, Professor Hojo was more than a nut job with a science career. He was a nut job with a science career and the ability to destroy lives. When Mako treatments are proposed for the high ranking Turks one day and off the agenda the next, no one really looks twice when they see Hojo limping and holding his hand close to his chest as if injured. Tseng would go as far as it takes to protect his people.

His first call of loyalty is to Rufus, his second to the Turks. It's supposed to be different though. His loyalty should be completely to President Shin-Ra. But the President believes that Turks are expendable. And Tseng is a Turk. So really, who can blame him if he subtly nudges young Rufus in the right direction? Shin-Ra Inc needs a new direction, and Tseng can see more promise in the seventeen year old boy than the old man has ever shown.

Tseng takes his coffee with two sugars and no cream. There are only three people who know this. Tseng, Elena and Rufus' secretary. So, following a rather disturbing mission statement gone horribly wrong, three missing Turks showing up out of the blue and for some reason Reno being allowed to process materia, Tseng doesn't bother questioning the thoughtful mug of coffee sitting on his desk beside the still warm pot. But he will make sure Elena and Joanna get something extra over the coming weeks.

By the time Tseng discovered he'd been set up, it was probably too late. He was surrounded, the exits were well covered and he had no escape plan. Bracing himself he took two steps forward and prepared to do the only thing left. He'd been fighting with the desire to ask Elena out for weeks anyway, why not enjoy the date his subordinates seemed to think he needed?

Tseng has been romantically linked to three people his entire life. His childhood sweetheart was a nice girl by the beach. She had sea green eyes and a laugh that washed over him like the ocean. She was sultry and pouty, and at fifteen he was infatuated with her. Her father didn't like him though. By the time he was twenty he had managed to determine which girls were just too far out of his league, and which ones he couldn't save. She was one of the latter. Blonde hair and amber eyes, cherry red lips and a laugh that never made it's way to her eyes anymore. She was beyond his help, the life she lived showed him that. It didn't stop him loving her though. And now, now there was Elena. Smart, pretty, slightly naive Elena. She was eager to learn, but still stubborn enough to know what she wanted. And sometimes he really did need her to pull him away from work. He couldn't help but wonder, 'is this one for keeps?'

Tseng likes going on missions. He likes being able to get back into the field. He never thought that one simple recon would end up in tears, trauma and bloodshed. He can't help feeling a little guilty about putting Elena through that either.

While he's in recovery, Tseng likes to watch daytime TV. He'll never admit it, but he usually gets rather involved in the dramatic love tangles that always occur. He's a sucker for the underdog though.

Tseng hardly ever joins the Turks on their wild nights to blow off steam. But when Rude places a hand on his shoulder and squeezes ever so slightly, Tseng realizes just how much he needs this.

Elena is soft against him. Pliant, supple skin under his hands and perfect curves against his body. She's responsive and vocal and Tseng knows that this could be forever, if he can keep her alive, if he can keep her safe. He can let the ghosts go if she just stays.

Seeing Reno, lying on the white sheets, tubes from the various machines keeping him alive and that vibrant shock of red hair lying against pale skin, Tseng fights against the clench in his chest. It takes a lot for him to figure it out, but in a way, Reno is like the son he never knew he wanted.

Quiet nights are different for them. Elena and he on the sofa, her head pillowed on his chest and his arm around her own chest. They each have a book, her's a romantic adventure, his a factual description of the great wars of the past. He enjoys these times the most, when they are both so comfortable with each other, and yet not the centre of the others attention. He knows that getting used to it would take no work at all.

The night his son is born leaves him feeling joyous and whole. He has his own family now, one to build and shape and protect. He knows that no matter what his son will know that there is a place for him anywhere he wishes to make it, that his dreams can become a reality if he wants it enough. Reno's beaming smile and mischievous eyes also tell him that his son will likely have a wild time making those dreams a reality.

One habit that Tseng has never been able to break is his five a.m. wake up time. Every morning, since he was sixteen, he's been up at the crack of dawn, watching the last creeping rise of the sun. Now, when he wakes from slumber, it is not the sun he watches, instead he slowly makes his way through the house he now owns with his wife, opening the nursery door and peering over the edge of the crib to watch his own son, sleeping peacefully and safely. He knows then that everything is right with the world for that one, fleeting moment.

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Disclaimer: Tseng, the Turks, ShinRa and Final Fantasy VII belong to Square Enix. Not me. No profit was made here.


End file.
